Lee Bowyer’s relationship with Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet is how the manager would like it.
Charlton have flourished this campaign under Bowyer despite the backdrop of off-field dramas taking more column inches than on-field successes at the club, and Duchatelet’s ‘stay-away’ stance with the side’s footballing dealings suits the manager to the ground.
“He leaves us to it, which suits me” said Bowyer.
“I know with other clubs with owners who like to play a big part with what’s going-on on the football side of things.
“But he trusts me, he put me in charge and leaves me to it.
“I’m guessing he’s happy because if he wasn’t he’d tell me.
“To be fair to the owner he backed us in the summer, we went with him with a group of players and he backed us.”
Duchatelet and the board have come in for criticism from fans this season with how the club has been run, with the owner openly stating he’s trying to sell the club.
Alleged unpaid bonuses, training ground cut-backs and lack of investment have led to demonstrations by fans calling for Duchatelet to leave, off-field distractions that Bowyer admits he hasn’t let get to him or his players.
“All the off field stuff I can’t control.
“All I focus on is what I can control- improving the players as individuals and that’ll make our squad better and bring the club back to where it was.
“If we play good football, which we do, if we fight and compete for every ball, which every fan wants our players to do, I can control that.
“So if you put them all together, you’ll get fans coming back, and we are seeing that. So that’s what I focus on.
“The biggest goal is promotion and that’s my biggest role really, and I’ve said it from day one, we have to go for promotion.”
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